Humanism is the belief that we can live good lives without religious or superstitious beliefs. Humanists make sense of the world using reason, experience and shared human values. We seek to make the best of the one life we have by creating meaning and purpose for ourselves. We take responsibility for our actions and work with others for the common good.

What humanists believe

Humanism
is an approach to life based on humanity and reason - humanists recognise that moral values are properly founded on human nature and experience alone. Our decisions are based on the available evidence and our assessment of the outcomes of our actions, not on any dogma or sacred text.

Humanism
encompasses atheism and agnosticism ‑ but is an active and ethical philosophy far greater than these negative responses to religion.

Humanists
believe in individual rights and freedoms ‑ but believe that individual responsibility, social cooperation and mutual respect are just as important.

Humanists
believe that people can and will continue to find solutions to the world'sproblems ‑ so that quality of life can be improved for everyone.

Humanists
believe thatwe have only one life ‑ it is our responsibility to make it a good life, and to live it to the full.

Humanists - who are they?

At least 15.5% of the population is non-religious according to the 2001 census, making this the second largest "belief" group in the UK. Other surveys on religious belief in Britain have found 30 - 40% (and 65% of young people) declaring themselves atheists or agnostics. A Home Office survey (2004) found almost 22% of no faith, and that religion played little part in the lives of most of those calling themselves Christians. Many people, even if they do not call themselves humanists, live their lives by the principles outlined above, and many thousands use the services of the British Humanist Association every year; organised Humanism is the tip of a very large iceberg.

BHA Vice-President
Claire Rayner
says: "I was a humanist without knowing it for many years before I found the Association - when I did, it was like finding a sort of home. Here were people with a range of views that matched my own, who shared my respect for life in all its forms, and who, above all, did not try to bully other people to follow their beliefs".

Thinking About Death
- read the introduction to the Humanist Philosophers' Group book of essays based on their 2002 conference, and buy the book by phoning 020 7079 3580.

Thinking about Ethics
- an account of where humanists think moral values come from, and the implications.

Discussions of philosophical, ethical and social issues
outline how humanists approach a range of issues and provide discussion questions and further reading for students of all ages. (Please note that these are not definitive statements about what all humanist think or BHA policy.)

Humanist ideas have a long history -
read about it here
. You can also read extracts from humanist writers past and present in
A Humanist Anthology
(edited by Jim Herrick and Margaret Knight, RPA,
buy it here
), and E M Forster's
What I believe
(BHA,
buy it here
).